Bottle Cap
by violent-sorrow
Summary: one of the original five is dying, but the sixth original ranger is having a hard time caring


Bottle caps  
"So I have called you here my old friends because… I am Dying!" the words echoed in Tommys head all the way to the bridge of the astro megaship  
"Thank you for agreeing to taking us back to earth Andros!" Jason said as he and the red lightstar ranger watched the planet aquitar becoming smaller and smaller as the ship swept through space  
"No need to thank me Jason!" Andros said, Jason didn't hear him, Tommy Oliver had just come past the Entrance, Jason ran to catch up with him but as he reached the cargo bay he saw he had done the right thing  
"No trini, I've made my decision, there is no reason for me to accompany the four of you!" Tommy demanded as Billy christon and Trini Qwan stood before him  
"Tommy, Zack called for ALL of us that means all five not just those he knew longest, time doesn't matter now, he's run out of it anyhow!" Trini demanded frustrated, Billy however saw the logic in Tommys decision and left the room just as Jason entered  
"Tommy, I don't care what you've decided we've come this far as a team and we'll go father, besides you have to be there zack needs you to hold the power sword to give his morphin energy to Adam!" Jason said, Looking up Tommy gave a sort of half growl half huff and swept out of the room straight into Zhane   
"Wow where's the fire Tommy?" Zhane asked brushing himself off, Tommy smiled he had known Zhane only a short time and already the two were friends, not of obligation with Tommy being the second leader in power ranger history but of choice, Zhane pressed for an answer and in the end Tommy was forced to explain  
"Zack and I never really got on, we were polite only because we had to be, I always got the feeling he hated me being around even after I was officially made a ranger!" Tommy said, Zhane nodded  
"I understand, its not always easy being the special ranger!" he agreed  
"Its not just that Zhane, even as white ranger he didn't accept me!" Tommy replied, Zhane could still see Tommys point  
"And you felt better with Adam?" he asked, Tommy nodded  
"I know its bad to speak ill of the dying but I always thought Adam saw me in a better light than zack, maybe it was because I was the only ranger leader he knew, or I had been more welcoming than zack but either way he was closer to me than zack had ever been and more importantly he wanted to be like that!" Tommy replied,  
  
Down the road, we never know what life may have in store  
  
Meanwhile on earth zack lay in the command centre as David true heart, a boy he hardly knew took care of him in his final days  
"I hope you don't mind me asking zack, being a none ranger and all, but why the command centre, wouldn't you be best spending your final days with people instead of surrounded by renewed machines and flashing alarms?" David asked, Zack smiled weakly  
"Memories are all I have left David, and with this being my curtain call I'm gonna take it with the style, pride and honour I earned as a ranger, and to do that I want to be where my life had meaning, which is right here!" zack said slowly ebbing into a coughing fit, David nodded but something in zacks words made him wonder  
"I wonder if my brother would say the same, he is the longest running ranger so far!" he thought as he watched the viewing globe for the Astro Megaship bringing his brother and his friends back from collecting their remaining friend Billy christon, a cough from zack made him turn  
"Yes zack?" he asked, zack turned weakly to look at David  
"David, when I finally… could you give your brother a message for me?" He asked  
"You can tell him yourself zack he's coming just like the others!" David said, zack shook his head  
"If I know Tommy he won't come, he thinks I never appreciated him (cough)" zack said  
"Even if that is true, Tommy knows you want to see him!" David argued but he knew zack was right Tommy had told him how in his eyes zack had hated him from start to finish  
"Even so, would you?" zack asked pleadingly, David nodded secretly pressing record on a video camera alpha had installed to monitor intruders or such, slowly zack began his message  
"David, Tell your brother… tell him I bear him no ill will, no bad blood, that I never really hated him, I just couldn't get used to there being six of us instead of five as there had always been before, when Tommy was freed from the spell I cheered just like the others, but something… something ended that day we were no longer five, oh yeah Rita still called us the five meddlesome teens but that was only because Tommy was at first a special ranger, the day he returned as the white ranger and took leadership I was happy for him but I had always been used to Jason's orders, the two weren't much different but Tommy was a thinker he didn't always act quick enough! I want him to know that in the end I accept him and that he'll be my friend till the end of time"  
David nodded.  
  
Winds of change, will rearrange our lives more than before  
  
  
Back on the astro megaship Zhane and Tommy had been talking for almost three hours when deca finally informed them  
"We are approaching earth!" she said, Tommy stopped  
"Its your call Tommy, are you coming down or not?" Jason asked not sounding to happy when they met at the jump shoots for the galaxy gliders  
"Your right Jason it's my call, I've decided to stay up here with Zhane while the others come with you!" he said, turning to trini he smiled faintly  
"I'm giving you guys time to be the five rangers you once were, don't knock it trini!" he said before he and Zhane headed towards the bridge,  
Jason stared after him  
"He'll come when he's ready!" Kimberly said, Billy nodded  
"That's Tommys style!" Jason agreed.  
Once all ten rangers were safely inside the command centre David activated the viewing globe  
"He asked me to play all the command centres records of your fights!" he told Jason, Jason nodded sadly, it had finally sunk in that this was the last time he would high five zack, the last time he would see his old friends smile brighten up the room, looking at his friends Jason took in the way they were handling things, kimberly was shielding her eyes against the tears that were dying to fall, Billy held trini tightly, finally Jason looked down at zack  
"It's been a good life!" zack whispered as his four friends gathered round him,   
  
But you'll never stand alone my friend, memories never die  
  
David joined them in Tommys place  
"He'll be here!" he promised zack  
"It'll be too David… your name really suits you, you have a true heart!" zack whispered hoarsely in reply, looking up at Kimberly zack gestured to David who passed her a song sheet  
"Zack?" Kimberly asked, zack who was getting weaker with every word  
"The song we wrote for Tommy, I want David and you to sing it!" zack requested, Kimberly didn't know if she could, sing as her friend's life ebbed away but David nudged her  
"For him, one last request from an old friend" he assured, Kimberly nodded and slowly the five joined hands, drawing a tearful breath both David and Kimberly began to sing, Zack smiled one of his last memory was of his friends there for him in his last hour…  
As Kimberly finished a green and silver light entered the command centre, as they settled Tommy rushed over to zack side   
2hey zack man, I'm here!" he said, Zack smiled and opened his mouth to say something but that was all he did, for finally he was at peace, Tommy cursed under his breath he was too late just like his dream had told him, all Tommy could hear were the faint sobs of trini, looking up his tear filled eyes saw Kimberly's open arms, stepping forwards Tommy took her into his and together they allowed themselves to mourn their friends passing  
"Tommy?" David said, Tommy looked up  
"Zack told me to give you this, it was his prize possession and he wanted you to have it! To show he never hated you" he said passing Tommy a bottle cap necklace, the bottle cap had the star spangled banner imprinted on its front, Tommy was speech less,   
"And I recorded his last message for you!" David said passing his brother a mini disk  
"For when your alone!" he said, Tommy nodded, it seemed the bottle cap had put a lid on Tommy and zacks differences for ever.  
  
For in our hearts, they'll always live and never say… goodbye  
  
THE END  
  
In memory of Erik.R.Frank 10/14/71 - 4/16/01  
  



End file.
